WellSpan Imaging Services

Breast Imaging

Breast Imaging Service Guide

WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital is dedicated to advancing women’s health care in Lebanon County by bringing the latest breast-imaging technology to our community. Good Samaritan now provides digital mammography, breast MRI and MRI-guided breast biopsy in addition to the other breast-imaging services available throughout the system.

We are committed to providing you with the latest breast-imaging technology for faster and more accurate diagnosis.

An important first step for all women is to conduct monthly breast self-examinations and have a clinical examination by a doctor each year. The American Cancer Society also recommends asymptomatic women (with no known problem) have their first mammogram between 35 and 39. Women ages 40+ should have a yearly mammogram.

Good Samaritan Women’s Breast-Imaging Services

Digital Mammography

Primary breast screening tool

Uses x-rays to create an image of the tissue inside the breast

Women should have their first mammogram between 35-39 with annual mammograms for all women 40+

Digital mammography is a new technology that replaces x-ray film with solid-state detectors to convert the x-rays into electrical signals. Your digital camera uses similar detectors to replace film. When undergoing digital mammography you will see few, if any, differences during the exam. The images produced through digital mammography are available immediately on a computer screen for review by a radiologist. The technology also provides improved contrast and allows for additional computer enhancement for better diagnosis. Studies have shown that digital mammography is better in finding tumors in younger women and those with dense breast tissue. Digital also excels at picking up tiny calcium deposits, or calcifications, which can be a sign of cancer. Your doctor may recommend a digital mammogram based on your risk factors or medical history.

Breast Ultrasound

Uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of breast tissue

Most often used to help diagnose breast abnormalities detected during a physical exam or mammogram

Breast MRI

Non-invasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the breast tissue

Recommended by the American Cancer Society as a supplemental screening tool for women at high-risk for developing breast cancer

We now provide MRI imaging of the breast at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital. The American Cancer Society recommends MRI screening in addition to mammography for women at the greatest risk of developing breast cancer. Based on your risk factors or medical history, your doctor may recommend a breast MRI for additional screening. A breast MRI examination is similar to a regular MRI, but requires that you lie facing down on a specially designed coil that provides support for your body and allows your breasts to be isolated during the testing. The MRI technologist will guide you through the process.

We use the county’s most powerful magnet to gather images of your breasts providing the radiologist more detailed images to provide you and your doctor with more accurate results. In addition to screening for high-risk patients, breast MRI can be used as a diagnostic tool when a mammogram, self-exam or clinical exam by your doctor identifies an area of concern.

Breast Biopsy

Biopsy involves removing cells from a suspicious area in the breast then examining them under a microscope to determine a diagnosis

Biopsy can be done surgically or in a less invasive procedure involving a needle

Good Samaritan offers three types of the less-invasive procedure:

Stereotactic (mammography-guided)

Ultrasound-guided

MRI-guided

The introduction of the breast MRI technology also allows us to provide advanced MRI-guided breast biopsy for better diagnosis. This provides another biopsy option to complement the stereo-tactic and ultrasound-guided biopsies also available. The MRI-guided breast biopsy technology enables precise and accurate biopsies, giving you and your surgeon the information needed to plan the treatment that is best for you.

Breast MRI imaging and MRI-guided breast biopsy are available exclusively in Lebanon County at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital.

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